Hugo is an awesome open-source static site generator, which you can use to create beautiful portfolio websites and blogs. Hugo started as a side project in 2013 and quickly became one of the most popular frameworks for building static websites. So, what are the ingredients that make Hugo so great? Here are the most important reasons why you should power your website with Hugo.

Speed

Hugo is absurdly fast! The developers claim that one webpage can be built for less than 1 milisecond!

Ease of use

Another very impotant reason to use Hugo. Hugo is not only faster but also easier to use compared to other available website generators out there. While it certainly requires some technical knowledge to set it up, it has an awesome documentation and it is definitely the most user-friendly and intuitive site generator I have worked with.

Functionalities

Create a list page or a blog post using default templates
There are two types of templates you can use in Hugo. These are the single page templates and list page templates. There can also be a different page template for the home page. You can also create your own custom page templates.

Shortcodes
Hugo is written in Go language and comes with pre-defined shortcodes. You can use a shortcode instead of custom HTML to embed an youtube video. Just like that:

You can also use a shortcode to add an image. You can even create your custom shortcodes!

HTML and Javascript inside post content
You can put html or javascript whereever you want! No need for plugins or extra customization.

Disqus

Hugo ships with Disqus template. This is a comment system for static websites. In this way, you can easily include comments in your Hugo blog.

Free Hosting on GitHub Pages

Hugo saves you money. It is a static website and as such can be hosted for free on GitHub Pages! GitHub Pages is really awesome, because you have full access to your website data, you get ssl certificate for free and there is even an option to add a custom domain name.

Multilanguage Support

Thriving community

Last but not least, Hugo has an amazing, constantly growing community of enthusiasts, bloggers and developers that are willing to help each other. If you have any question, you can also check their forum, Discourse.GoHugo.io, and you will most likely find an answer to your question.